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Neolithic Temples Hypogeum Malta It is thought that the inspiration for temples came from rock cut tombs were the lobed plan of tombs was translated into above-ground architecture. Although, there is no direct proof of this is a reasonable hypothesis, especially when one considers the evidence from Skorba, where small religious structures were built well before the Temple Period.
Temple architecture then steadily evolved over time, reaching its peak in the Ggantija phase. Early temples were either rebuilt or had more apses and features added to them. These developments are both due to an increased technical ability and to changing ritual needs.
 No two temples are alike, but they do bear certain similarities. Typically, temples are approached via an oval space. The forecourt is overlooked by the temple façade, which faces south or southeast and is composed of orthostats, as are the side and rear walls.  The main doorway is found in the centre of the façade, and it gives way to an open space or court. To the left and right one then finds ovoid chambers, often closed off with cross-walls and having a central trilithon doorway. The main variation lies in the number of ovoid chambers, or apses, their size and grouping.   Inside, the temples are host to a wonderful and varied range of art and decorative features. Some temple walls were covered with plaster and red ochre. At the Saflieni hypogeum, red ochre was used to paint a giant freeze of spirals. At Mnajdra, the walls of the south temple were meticulously pitted, resulting in very striking decoration. Music has long been thought to have played a part in some of the ancient world's most recognisable structures. It’s logical that the ancient temple builders observed the echoes and sound characteristics in the caves and came up with the idea of recreating the same environment in a more controlled way. The Oracle Chamber is a small niche in Hal Saflieni hypogeum temples and if someone with a deep voice speaks inside, the voice echoes all over the hypogeum. The resonance in the ancient temple is something exceptional. You can hear the voice rumbling all over. Standing in the hypogeum is like being inside a giant bell. You feel the sound in your bones as much as you hear it with your ears. It’s really thrilling!  Research shows most Maltese temples resonate at a frequency of between 110 and 111 hertz. This has no small significance since UCLA scientists have shown how a resonance frequency of 111hz can have huge effects on the human mind, including a switch from the left to the right, more emotional side of the brain. Were they doing it intentionally to facilitate an altered state of consciousness? There is a lot that we are never going to know. What is amazing is that in this evolutional technological era we still do not have clear answers since tThere's more to Malta's megaliths than meets the eye. Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, a dense complex of caves and chambers, holds the key.
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